The Amazing Spider-Man 3

Chapter 13

Peter slid in through his window, his feet smoothly padding the floor. He tugged at his mask from the top, yanking it from his head in frustration. He shut his eyes and leaned his neck back, letting out a breath.

What was he thinking? What had he expected? Had he really believed that Harry would just spill everything? What if he didn't even know anything and Peter's hunch that this was an old foe rather than a new one was completely off base? For all he knew, the risky visit he just went on was all for nothing.

The thoughts in his mind swirling around like a tornado of growing intensity, Peter discarded his costume, throwing on some more casual clothes in the hopes of settling in for the night. The swing back to his apartment had done absolutely nothing for him, so maybe an evening at home would. Of course, he made sure to grab his phone as he exited the room in case some mugger, thief or supervillain decided to cause an issue. He went down to the kitchen, opening the refrigerator and pulling out some leftovers to reheat.

Once that was done, Peter plopped down on his tiny excuse for a sofa, turning on the TV in the hopes of finding something good on. He plowed through his leftovers, his accelerated metabolism not letting up for a second. He flipped through channel after channel, but he found nothing interesting to watch. It might help if he could afford more than the basic stations, but still, there just wasn't anything interesting. He contemplated throwing in a movie, but he felt unmotivated to get up.

Really, he felt unmotivated to do anything. His mind was still going crazy, his thoughts all over the place. His frustration then began to lead to restlessness as he realized he was tapping his leg repeatedly with his fingers. He forced himself to stop as he leaned his head back against the top of the couch, closing his eyes. He could still see Harry's face, his brain going back and forth between the one he'd seen earlier and the grotesque figure of the Goblin.

Peter finally decided to just turn off the TV, getting up from the couch. He grabbed his keys and exited his apartment, figuring he would try and get some air on the roof. Sometimes just being up high in the city, whether as himself or as Spider-Man, was relaxing. The sounds of the city, as chaotic as they could be sometimes, had often proven to be surprisingly peaceful. Maybe it was just because he was used to it, maybe it was his enhanced senses allowing him to hone in on certain sounds, or maybe it was just because it felt like home. In any case, this was Peter's last thought before he just went back out on patrol to try and distract himself.

Opening the door to the roof, Peter walked out calmly, soaking in the feeling of the night air. There was a cool but gentle breeze out tonight, and it felt nice against his skin without his costume impeding it. He walked until he was about six feet from the edge of the building, just standing there. He took a deep breath, letting in all the city had to offer: the good, the not-so-good, all of it. It was one crazy scent that for whatever reason just smelled RIGHT. He let out that breath, calmly releasing it all back out.

Peter had been up there for a while, his mind relaxing at least slightly, when he heard the door to the roof open again. Curious as to who was joining him, he peered back to find that it was none other than Mary Jane, wearing a casual green jacket and her hair in a ponytail. She stopped when their eyes met, seemingly contemplating what to do next. She then stepped out, letting the door close behind her as she walked up next to him. Surprisingly, she didn't say anything to him initially, only offering him a warm smile before staring out into the city.

For several moments, the two of them just stood there in silence before she spoke up first.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Peter replied, "in its own NYC way." He turned and peered into her eyes, and there was a familiar look in them: a look of contemplation, of frustration, and of second guessing. It was a look he had seen in the mirror too many times not to recognize. He hesitated about saying anything though; last time he had gotten the sense that something was bothering her, she had just said she was fine. She then turned to look at him too, causing him to jerk his head back into forward facing position, his face heating up a little in embarrassment at getting caught staring. Hopefully she didn't think he was a creep or something now.